. No one ever flunked life because they used “I” in an objective essay, or failed to use three compound and three simple sentences in every paragraph. There is great value, and empowerment in writing freely, unencumbered by rules imposed by dead white guys. A person might, however, be unable to find success in life if she is not able to read, assimilate and explain material on a variety of subjects. The material may be digital, it may come from Wikipedia, but the rules of analysis and explication are not magically suspended in such a way that one’s personal, fluid ramblings provide a feasible substitute for formal argument.
— “Old Literacy” v. “New Literacy:” A Five Paragraph Essay - Ann Nichols - Open Salon
